carbro

Shades of "Ninotchka"?;)

As a resident of the "dance-belt," I see dancers all over the place, all the time. My personal rule of thumb: ok to approach as they enter/leave the theater. Not in the supermarket, not at the ATM, not in the course of their daily, private doings. (Of course, if their dog is in your dog's play group, normal, neighborly chat is fine.) I did break my rule once: After I'd paid for my groceries, I lingered a few minutes until Suzanne Farrell had done likewise, and as she was leaving the store, I told her how much I'd enjoyed seeing her company at their New Victory season. I asked when they might be returning to New York. She was very gracious, and I wished her luck and left. Of course, there are those who crave the attention. Once, I was alone on a bus with Mme Danilova. She was seated in the front, and as I boarded, I gave her a smile and nod of recognition. I sat mid-bus and savored the "performance" as she spent the rest of the ride posing and preening, apparently for my benefit.

Sorry to disagree, Alexandra, but her persistent attempts at double sauts de basque (which she can't finish cleanly) subvert the musicality in the 3rd Movement Bizet. Then again, we've had different views of other dancers' musicality.;)

Medora, it is a subjective thing. Personally, I would choose Kent in any role over Reyes. While Reyes is a superior technician, I find some of Reyes's qualities that Michael referred a somewhat off-putting. (She appears to me to have a proportionately larger head than most dancers.) Let me note that at a similar point in her career, I avoided Julie Kent but find that she has matured into a fine ballerina in most roles.

A friend once observed, and my own observations have tended to confirm, that when families come with children, it is more often the adults who engage in inconsiderate, intrusive behavior. I remember a mom with her 8-year-old daughter at a performance of Watermill, followed by one of those light, frothy Robbins pieces. I warned her before the curtain of how difficult Watermill might be for her daughter to sit through, but it turned out -- in that case -- not to be a problem. My latest Nutcracker was spoiled by an adult who kept insisting that the child with her (I did not get a mother-daughter vibe from them) pay attention to the stage action. The girl got increasingly cranky and angry, and it was only after Grown-Up let the child fall asleep that my neighbors and I got our due peace.

I was told the story some 20-ish years ago of a young, rising dancer in a large New York company about to debut in her biggest role yet. Afflicted by the nervous, urgent need to urinate, she told a fan of her agony as, once the tights are on, the ladies are not permitted to use the bathroom. A cruel policy, but understandable in view of sanitary considerations. Talk about suffering for your art!!!! FF, I was stopped on a corner (65th & Broadway/Columbus, in fact) by a gentleman who claimed his mother to be the author of the book I was carrying. I told him how much I was enjoying it and asked him to send her my thanks for her good work.

Not silly at all. It would depend on the ballet. For the 19th century classics and ballets made in their image ("Symphony in C," "Theme & Variations,"), I definitely prefer the sturdier, traditional costumes. However, in ballets like "Fanfare," (and the "Mistake Waltz" in "The Concert") Robbins has the women dressed in leotard-like tops with tutus. It's a more contemporary look for a more contemporary style, and it works perfectly for what it is.

It was also evident that these dancers generally emerged from schools in places where their direct exposure to *The Dance World* is severely limited -- and vice versa. Most of the dancers noted that they were drawn by the opportunity to see who was out there and what they were doing. Also implied: opportunity to be seen/gain credibility as potential professionals.

I was no fan of Julie's before I first saw her Juliet, had made efforts to avoid her performances, in fact. I was a huge fan of her Romeo, Robert Hill, though, and it was a package deal. I had heard great things about Julie as Juliet (maybe it's a name thing?) from people I trust, but remained dubious. Wow! Have to go with BalletMama. Julie is indeed a great Juliet. As she has matured, she has lost the rough edges that had bothered me, and she has many good roles, but I think Juliet remains her best.

Presumably the same Met ushers who took what seemed like the whole White Swan Pas de Deux (and a few minutes before) before ejecting a loudly disruptive kid (heard throughout the house) and his mom during Gillian's and Jose's Sat. Mat. Swan last June. Of course, some of us know that the ushers can enforce the rules regarding standees to the letter when they so choose or are so directed.

Today, I had occasion to ask a former professor of music and active concert pianist (my sister's father-in-law ) about Liebeslieder -- whether it was written as one work comprised of many parts or written as many parts that were then lumped together as a single piece. He confirmed what I thought I had learned earlier: That Brahms wrote it as one work in two sections of eighteen parts. That factor surely affects the cohesiveness of both the Balanchine and the Morris (which I haven't seen).

I'm still wondering why the theater has not been renamed for him. Of course, that very short stretch of W63rd St. between Broadway and Columbus bears Balanchine's name. But then, Lenny Bernstein got all of W65th -- Park to river.

No disagreement here. I was careful to specify that "Darci was glorious in the adage." I have been accused of overly negative critiques lately, so I am leaving it to y'all to fill in my blanks. Thanks for keeping up your end, Manhattnik. ;)

Partnering Janie, who is no Thumbelina. The question would be, What's Taylor doing in Third Movement? That's the issue.

Of course it was! So sorry. Thanks, Sneds, for your attentive correction.

Now you've confused me, Victoria! Am I, adamantly cell phone-less, in the Stone Age or the Information Age? Dress Circle of the Metropolitan Opera House during ABT's 1998 or 1999 season. I was standing when the offending phone went off. The "gentleman" climbed over half the people seated in his row in order NOT to disturb them, and TOOK THE CALL standing beside me as he chatted away. Isn't it lovely that some people have such good manners? I really like the idea of a catchy, humorous announcement. It would get people's attention, at least the first couple of times. I like the one Lolly described. Or something like those subtle, pre-curtain bathroom warnings on Broadway (do they still make them?) that the first act runs 85 minutes. "Ladies and Gentlemen: If you anticipate the need to phone your sitter, please do so in the next two minutes and then turn off your phones so we might enjoy this evening's entertainment." New problem encountered at Ailey last month: the phones that silently receive messages on their illuminated screens that draw your eye. Suggestions, anyone?

. . . and Boal, who, though shorter, is a natural born prince . . . I mean Prince!

02/04/03: Barocco, Valse-Fantaise, Porte/Soupir, Bizet Will wonders never cease? I retract my assertion, posted on more than one thread in this forum and in other places, that NYCB's Barocco had deteriorated to an irredeemably low level and I was therefore boycotting it. The corps danced it miserably the last several times I saw it, but, as I found out last night, it was not irredeemable. Drawn to City Ballet last night by the prospect of Darci in Bizet and Alexandra in V-F, I gritted my teeth in anticipation of Barocco and prepared for the worst. Instead, I got one of the best. I knew the leads would be fine, but I must commend the corps for its beautiful work. Their high energy level coupled with their restrained demeanor brought me welcome joy. Seated in the 4th Ring, with opera glasses nestled in my lap throughout (except during the pause between 1st and 2nd Movements in order to scan the faces), my vision was clouded by my happy tears. Thank you, ladies (Bar, Beskow, Edge, Golbin, McBrearty, Natanya, Riggins and Wolf)! And thank you, too, whoever cleaned them up. Good job, all around. The leads (Whelan, Askegard and Somogyi) were excellent. Jennie does the second role as well as I've ever seen it done, and the interplay between her and Wendy -- with whom she was so well matched -- was lovely. Askegard's partnering was seamless and effortless. The Valse-Fantaisie was most notable for Jared Angle's commendable debut and Elizabeth Walker, in the ensemble, who looked like a puff of milkweed blown by the music's wind. Alexandra should really work on strengthening her feet. Those toes need to point quite a bit faster than they do, especially in a role with so many small steps. Had she danced with more of her accustomed abandon, I may have overlooked this shortcoming. The other middle piece was Porte/Soupir, which is fine when you see it once every 20 years. I kept wondering, "How do they learn it?" I understand muscle memory, but still -- the initial process of learning it and getting it into the body must take forever! And so thankless, because, as difficult as it must be, I doubt the performers feel as if they've danced when it's done. Kowroski and Gold caught humor I don't remember from earlier viewings. Symphony in C was uneven. The corps was unrecognizable as the same group that had done the same steps on Saturday. Let's give them the benefit of the doubt and of their own humanity for that earlier, depressed performance. Abi Stafford's 1st movement on Tuesday was lackluster and she may need more experience to find her comfort level in the role. She tends to overrush the music. Nilas, on the other hand, showed up for the performance(!) and partnered her very solicitously. Darci was glorious in the adage, supported by Jock. She finds things in the music that no one else does and last night conveyed the same irresistible vulnerability of her earliest renderings of the role. Robert Tewsley's 3rd Movement debut was very good. He looked entirely at home in it, and the partnering problems Janie had with Ben on Saturday were less apparent (although still somewhat apparent). The 4th Movement couple, Pascale and Arch, were terrific. In the finale, with all the principal men in a row, it was Arch's elan that stood out. Having dreaded the prospect of Barocco and never sure what to expect from Darci, I left the theater happily singing the evening's music (which may well have sounded to passers-by like Porte/Soupir:eek: )!

Hardly an absolute measure, but seemed to me on Tuesday night during the curtain call for Symphony in C (which he danced very well), that Tewsley is taller than Higgins and Soto, but not quite as tall as Nilas. I guess taller than Jock could mean tall. Best wishes to Nikolaj.

That's a tattoo? Thanks. I thought it was the effect of a printing error. Now I know the error wasn't the printer's.

Sorry, Treefrog. Get that, Watermill? Apologies to you, too.

But, Treefrog, did you watch "The Natural History of the Chicken?" Funny, informative, funny bizarre, original, funny, and heartwarming. And did I mentionfunny?!! Given a choice, I'd just as likely opt for Chicken over another Nut. Unless, of course, the Nut were ABT's with Gelsey.

Why? To keep up with the intermission chat. :rolleyes: I find myself asking, "Which one was she?" but since no one has idiosyncratic qualities (I draw the "I miss" line at Margie S.), I'm still lost. :confused: :confused: :confused:

I miss Delia, don't you?

The only problem with the Dancer Book is that these are "artistic" portraits, and the women are made up entirely differently from how they are on stage, and I still can't recognize most of the ones I didn't already know. I think, too, that had the photos included head and shoulders, instead of faces alone, that the dancers would be easier to recognize. The faces would be a little smaller, sure, but the line of the neck to the shoulder shows a more individually distinctive quality. More context, if you will. If I ran the universe, ,everyone would be shown head-and-shoulders in 3/4 profile. Not very interesting, but probably most utilitarian. I must remark, though, on how beautiful and radiant Darci looks. That picture alone is worth the fin.